Trey Gowdy: More Illegal Immigrants Convicted of Crimes At Large in the U.S. Than The Population of Pittsburgh

There are more illegal immigrant criminals in the United States than the population of major U.S. cities, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) argues, expressing frustration at the Obama administration’s focus on the plight of illegal immigrants rather than the victims of their crimes.

“Today there are over 350,000 known criminal aliens in the United States who are not detained by ICE, 350,000,” Gowdy, the chairman of the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee, said opening a hearing examining the victims of illegal immigrant crime.

“That number may not get your attention — statistics rarely do — so I want you to think about it this way. The number of criminal aliens living in the United States, not in custody, not separated from society, it larger than the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Larger than the city of Lexington, Kentucky, larger than the city of Anaheim, California,” he asked. “Can you imagine a city the size of Pittsburgh, comprised sole of people who are here unlawfully who have also committed another crime?”

Gowdy noted that, according to ICE, between October 2011 and December 2014, ICE released criminal aliens over 100,000 times.

“According to ICE those released have been convicted of more than 10,000 assaults, more than 800 sexual assaults, more than 400 homicide-related offenses, and more than 300 kidnappings,” he said.

Gowdy slammed the Obama administration’s effort to provide unilateral amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants as immigration enforcement falls by the wayside. The South Carolina lawmaker took particular umbrage at an argument Solicitor General Donald Verrilli made before the Supreme Court Monday, arguing for Obama’s executive amnesty programs.

“Just yesterday the lawyer for the president was at it again, this time at the United States Supreme Court, arguing for the nonenforcement of the law, arguing for the wholesale failure to enforce the law,” Gowdy said. “And he said this: ‘The damage that would be reeked by tearing apart families.’ If you want to see that damage, Mr. Solicitor General, if you want to see what tearing apart looks like, I hope you’re watching this morning.”

Two mothers of children killed by illegal immigrants offered emotional testimony Tuesday before the hearing over which Gowdy presided.